New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Former Union minister M Veerappa Moily on Friday described protest as the “lifeline of democracy” and said governments should engage with agitators rather than confront them, recalling the Congress-led UPA government’s handling of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement in 2011.
“Protest is the lifeline of democracy. If there is no protest, that means democracy is not alive. It’s not a bad thing, but we have to receive it in that spirit,” Moily told PTI on the sidelines of the launch of his memoir, ‘Unlimited Dreams, Limited Time’. Recalling his experience of handling protests while in government, Moily cited the negotiations with Hazare during the campaign for a strong anti-corruption ombudsman, or Lokpal.
Speaking later at the book event, Moily said he had suggested to then prime minister Manmohan Singh that a joint committee comprising MPs, legal experts and representatives of the agitation be constituted to draft the legislation.
“We are not afraid. Noisy democracy is good for any country,” he said, adding that governments must take decisions when opportunities arise and should not hesitate to do so.
Hazare launched an indefinite fast on April 5, 2011, demanding a strong Jan Lokpal Bill to tackle corruption. The agitation drew widespread public support, prompting the United Progressive Alliance government to negotiate with the campaigners. On April 8, the government constituted a 10-member Joint Drafting Committee with five Union ministers and five nominees of Hazare, including himself. Moily was the committee’s convenor.
The committee held nine meetings between April and June but failed to agree on key provisions, with government and civil society representatives submitting separate drafts on June 21.
Hazare resumed his indefinite fast on August 16 after the government introduced its version of the Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha on August 4. The government subsequently withdrew that Bill and introduced a revised Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill in December 2011.
After further parliamentary scrutiny and consultation, the Rajya Sabha passed the legislation on December 17, 2013, and the Lok Sabha on December 18. The President gave assent on January 1, 2014, making it the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
Moily’s remarks come amid a series of protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning voter deletions and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The Delhi Police on Friday denied permission for a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other student organisations against Kumar at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Police cited the late submission of the application and alleged violations of directions during an earlier demonstration.
Police received the application on October 7, three days before the proposed protest, although they require applications to be submitted at least 10 days in advance. Police have also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the New Delhi district. The proposed protest followed a series of actions against those seeking to mobilise support for the demonstration.
Delhi is under an unprecedented security blanket, with around 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed across the national capital and internet services suspended. Forty-five metro stations face entry and exit restrictions, and surveillance is heightened at borders, railway stations, bus terminals and other sensitive locations.
Moily, who served as Karnataka chief minister from 1992 to 1994, held several Union portfolios, including law and justice, corporate affairs, and petroleum and natural gas. His memoir traces his journey from what he described as a revolt against a landlord when he was four, to his decades in public life. The Kannada version of the book has already been released. PTI AO ASD
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